Rangers travel to the Pittodrie Stadium on Sunday to face Aberdeen in their next Scottish Premiership match.
This is the second time in a week that they will play Aberdeen as they defeated them at home in midweek.
Aberdeen vs Rangers – Match preview and team news
- Date: Sunday, 11th January.
- Kick-off: 4:30pm BST.
- Venue: Pittodrie Stadium, Aberdeen.
Aberdeen team news
Aberdeen interim manager Peter Leven has expressed his disappointment with the two set-piece goals conceded on Tuesday night and has emphasised the need for improvement as the Dons prepare for Sunday’s crucial fixture at Pittodrie. Following the sacking of Jimmy Thelin on January 4 after a five-game winless run, Leven took temporary charge and saw glimpses of promise despite the defeat.
The club continue to assess the fitness of midfielder Adil Aouchiche, who came off during Saturday’s defeat to Falkirk. At the same time, defenders Gavin Molloy and Kristers Tobers remain sidelined with knee injuries. Key midfielder Stuart Armstrong believes the team created sufficient chances in the first meeting and is confident they can convert opportunities when they meet Rangers again on Sunday.
Rangers team news
Rangers manager Danny Rohl has praised his squad’s resilience and ability to adapt following their impressive 2-0 victory over Aberdeen, with the German coach now targeting further points in their quest to close the gap on league leaders Hearts. The Light Blues came into the match with significant momentum following their 3-1 Old Firm triumph over Celtic on January 3.
Bailey Rice, Nedim Bajrami, and Oliver Antman remain unavailable due to injury, while captain James Tavernier returned to the starting lineup after being rested in the previous fixture. Nasser Djiga is available as he returned from his duty at the Africa Cup of Nations after Burkina Faso was eliminated.
The set-piece prowess displayed by Rangers in their last outing will be central to their tactics on Sunday, with Connor Barron’s corner delivery proving crucial, leading to goals from Emmanuel Fernandez and Nicolas Raskin.
Fernandez, who has scored five goals this season despite only recently establishing himself in the side, continues his form as one of Rangers’ most reliable finishers.
Form
Aberdeen
Aberdeen’s season has been characterised by inconsistency, with interim manager Peter Leven inheriting a team enduring their worst start to a league campaign in 26 years.
Despite initial promise under former manager Jimmy Thelin, who famously led the club to their first Scottish Cup victory in 35 years just eight months prior, results have deteriorated significantly. The Dons are currently eighth in the Scottish Premiership with 25 points from 21 games, 19 points behind leaders Hearts.
Rangers
Danny Rohl has orchestrated a remarkable turnaround at Ibrox since taking over from Russell Martin in October, transforming Rangers from sixth place with just one win in eight games into genuine title contenders.
The German coach has accumulated an impressive 32 points from a possible 39 since his arrival, bringing Rangers within three points of league leaders Hearts although having played one more match.
Predicted lineups
Aberdeen: Mitov; Polvara, Milne, Knoester; Shinnie, Devlin, Gyamfi, Kjartansson; Keskinen; Nisbet, Bilalovic
Rangers: Butland; Tavernier, Souttar, Fernandez, Meghoma; Barron, Raskin, Diomande; Gassama, Chermiti, Moore
How to watch Aberdeen vs Rangers?
Sky Sports broadcasts the Aberdeen vs Rangers match live in the UK on Sunday.
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